Eastern Conference preview: 15 questions for 15 teams

With our Western Conference preview out of the way and the 2018-19 NBA season hours from tipping off, here are 15 questions to ask of the Eastern Conference's 15 teams.

Teams are listed in predicted order of finish:

Toronto Raptors - Is (the real) Kawhi Leonard back?

Leonard's 2019 free agency and long-term plans will dominate headlines over the next nine months, but his short-term status is what could decide the East.

The Raptors take the floor as arguably the league's deepest team, with a plethora of roster versatility, especially among their defensively capable wings. And scoring averages be damned, Kyle Lowry was always the more valuable of the team's All-Star guards.

If Leonard is anywhere near the player we saw two years ago - the MVP candidate who contended for a third straight Defensive Player of the Year award while averaging 25.5 points per game on 49-38-88 shooting - the Raptors should be considered favorites to emerge from the top-heavy Eastern Conference.

This team won 59 games and outscored teams by 7.8 points per 100 possessions last season, then replaced DeMar DeRozan with a superstar who can replicate his offensive production in a more efficient manner while providing All-World defense.

Boston Celtics - How seamless will Hayward's (and Irving's) return be?

On the surface, the Celtics are adding Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving to a team that came within a game of the NBA Finals without them. But whereas Toronto replaced one ball-dominant star with another, Boston will be trying to reintegrate two offensive alphas into a system in which youngsters Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and even Terry Rozier emerged as more than just supporting actors.

Brad Stevens has a ton of talent to work with and can continue to lean on Al Horford anchoring a top-tier defense, but figuring out how to divvy up the offense might prove an early challenge. It's a problem most of the league would love to have.

Philadelphia 76ers - Can they take care of the ball?

The trendy questions in Philly revolve around Markelle Fultz's rehabilitated jumper and his insertion into the starting lineup, but the 76ers' turnover issues are what could derail this team in the short term.

The Sixers have finished dead last in turnover percentage in four of Brett Brown's five seasons in charge - they finished 29th the other year - and the team's franchise stars haven't helped matters. Ben Simmons was the most turnover-prone high-usage player as a rookie, while Joel Embiid turned the ball over on more than 15 percent of his possessions. The preseason didn't offer much hope for immediate improvement, either, as Simmons and Embiid combined for 34 turnovers in four games.

The margin for error against Toronto and Boston is too slim for the Sixers to continue shooting themselves in the foot.

Milwaukee Bucks - Is this 3-point barrage for real?

The Bucks finished last season ranked 25th in both 3-point attempts (24.7 per game) and 3-point attempt rate (0.297 3PA per FGA), while placing 22nd in 3-point shooting (35.5 percent), exposing a painfully obvious offensive flaw - a lack of spacing around Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Enter Mike Budenholzer, whose flowing offense creates additional space through movement alone, but who's also clearly mandated a drastic uptick in Milwaukee's long-range attempts.

We expected Budenholzer's Bucks to take a "fake it 'til you make it" approach from behind the arc, firing away to space the floor for Giannis regardless of whether the team had enough weapons to successfully do so. Turns out there may be nothing fake about it, as between Khris Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon, Tony Snell, and newcomers Brook Lopez, Ersan Ilyasova, and Donte DiVincenzo, Milwaukee suddenly finds itself flush with long-range threats.

Indiana Pacers - Did they already hit their ceiling?

Victor Oladipo and the Pacers stunned the basketball world last season, and they're better built this time around.

The presence of Tyreke Evans makes it tougher for defenses to load up on Oladipo; Evans and Doug McDermott give Indiana a couple more shooters, and even the addition of Kyle O'Quinn was a quietly productive move. The problem is, in a conference with three clearly superior teams and a fourth that boasts a legitimate MVP candidate, how much room for improvement is left for the Pacers - a team that won 48 regular-season games before taking the eventual East champs to a Game 7?

Indiana should be better, just without the results to prove it.

Miami Heat - Is a Jimmy Butler trade looming?

As presently constructed, the Heat should grind their way to somewhere between 40-45 wins and another playoff berth, but that's never been good enough for Pat Riley's organization, especially not when Miami remains capped out for at least the next couple years.

It's worth questioning how much better off the Heat would be if they package some of their young, rotation players and draft assets to land Butler, but Riley craves superstars and understands the importance of a true alpha. Plus, if anyone can find beauty and appreciation in Butler's practice tirade last week, it's Riley.

Washington Wizards - Can they finally rise above the drama?

Whether it's been injuries, infighting, general malaise and inconsistency, or a combination of all the above, the tough-talking Wizards always find a way to disappoint.

This franchise hasn't won 50 games or advanced to the conference finals in 40 years, the John Wall/Bradley Beal era has produced a positively unspectacular average of 44.6 wins over the last five seasons - during which time they've finished fifth, fifth, 10th, fourth, and eighth - and they just added Dwight Howard to an already fragile locker room.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. At what point do we stop viewing the Wizards as disappointing and just accept that this is who they are?

Detroit Pistons - How long will Drummond's 3-point experiment last?

If a coach and player truly believe in a skill set, they shouldn't overreact to small sample sizes and abandon ship early, but how long can Dwane Casey and Drummond buy into the big man's 3-point shot without material evidence that it exists?

To recap, Drummond has never made more than two 3-pointers in a season, has never attempted multiple threes in a single game, and went 0-for-11 from deep last year. Yet he entered training camp with a green light to let it fly after telling theScore he was making 200 corner threes a day during the summer. He then took 11 triples in five preseason games and missed them all.

Drummond's preseason was otherwise impressive, and two or three possessions per game ending in bricked threes seems innocent enough, but those possessions add up, especially when you're fighting just to claw into the playoffs. Drummond would be better suited elsewhere on the court.

Charlotte Hornets - Is this Kemba Walker's last season in Charlotte?

For Kemba's sake, let's hope so.

In seven seasons with the Hornets, Walker has yet to play with a fellow All-Star, has made two postseason appearances, and has won a grand total of three playoff games. He's missed just six games over the last three years while averaging 22 points, 5.4 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals for a franchise that has given him so little in return.

Walker maintains he wants to be a Hornet, and who can blame him for growing attached to the only NBA city he's ever known and a franchise that can pay him more than rival suitors can? But with unrestricted free agency on the horizon next summer and another projected lottery trip for the Hornets, there's no basketball argument working in Charlotte's favor.

Cleveland Cavaliers - What's Love got to do with it?

The last time Kevin Love was a No. 1 option, he averaged 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists as a 25-year-old in Minnesota, scoring at will while picking defenses apart from the elbows. Say what you will about the failures of those Timberwolves teams, but that player surrounded by even a modicum of rotation talent gets you to the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

Of course, Love isn't the same player five years later, and the supporting cast LeBron left behind isn't exactly a murderer's row, but we're still talking about an All-Star talent. Don't be surprised if the Cavs hang around an admittedly pathetic East playoff race.

Brooklyn Nets - Do they have any blue chips?

Sean Marks and Kenny Atkinson have made the most of a raw deal in Brooklyn, and while you probably weren't paying attention, have laid the foundation for a surprisingly competitive team that plays a smart brand of basketball - on both ends - but is often missing the top-tier talent to finish the job.

The Nets shouldn't be ruled out as a potential threat to crash the East playoff race, but their focus is on a starry 2019 free-agent class. This season should be about deciding if there are any blue-chippers among their intriguing cast of youngsters before what they hope is a massive talent infusion next summer. If there is one, bet on it being Jarrett Allen.

Orlando Magic - How exciting is Mo Bamba?

Aaron Gordon's early-season improvement last year was stunning, and Jonathan Isaac is full of raw potential, but no Magic player is as intriguing as Mo Bamba.

Few players in general are.

The seven-foot rookie averaged 3.7 blocks per game in his lone season at Texas, broke a draft combine record with his 7-foot-10 wingspan, can run the floor with any big man in the Association, and showed off his improved shooting by knocking down 5-of-10 3-point attempts during the preseason.

He's got the physical tools to tease unicorn potential and the charisma to emerge as a fan favorite. For a franchise starved for relevancy, that's exciting.

Chicago Bulls - How comical can this D be?

Chicago's answer to finishing 28th in defensive efficiency last season was to sign Jabari Parker, a lost cause defensively whose response was that NBA players aren't paid to play defense.

Surprisingly, the offensively capable Bulls finished the preseason with the 11th-ranked defense but the worst-ranked offense. Unsurprisingly, Parker lost his starting job after three ugly preseason games, though he did look more promising in a reserve point-forward role to close the exhibition schedule.

Atlanta Hawks - Can Trae Young make a 60-loss team exciting?

On paper, the Hawks may be worse than the team that lost 58 games last season, but Trae Young's entertainment value is as undeniable as this team's futility.

Be prepared for mind-bending passes, equally spectacular turnovers, and the type of shooting audacity that would make even a young Steph Curry blush:

New York Knicks - How many days until the draft?

Two-hundred-and-fourty-seven, to be exact.

There are some young players worth monitoring, but the Knicks will be mostly atrocious for at least one more year, and Kristaps Porzingis might not play at all during that time. If it ends with some lottery luck, a healthy Porzingis, and a free-agent splash, long-suffering Knicks fans won't mind one last wasted season.

Heck, the Knicks are even saying sensible things!